Nightmare Rising
by Saphirian Waterclaw
Summary: What if the government got a hold of the Inception project and used it for espionage only for it to be over run by hackers and publicized to other government powers before it became a mind of it's own? The Gladius project. Gladius was an experiment gone wrong. After it's development for the pentagon, it created a subconscious of it's own. Her name was Selena.
1. Chapter 1

The Gladius program. Few knew of it's existence. The moment the Government was able to lock down Inception, Gladius was formed. Gladius served as an instant technological messaging system. Government agents used Gladius as an intel hotline. The Pentagon held control over Gladius until the Hacker Coalition made their move. It changed from a Dream world created by one of the members of the Pentagon into an artificial subconscious of algorithms and binary codes that created projections at random. The codes for Gladius were leaked to nations around the world and what had once been a secret tool became a widely used weapon among the nations of the world. Armies of secret agents flocked into Gladius. And because it had no host mind, projections roamed everywhere.

However, when a dream has no mind to dream it and yet it exists, it will realize it's existence is being violated. Soon, projections began to kick out agents one by one. The Hackers lost control immediately after publicizing it to the world and the projections developed minds of their own. Hundreds of thousands of minds. It survived because there was always someone around the world in the dream. Each mind that joined to it bore a trace of the subconscious. Each mind that joined to it became symbiote with it. And since government opperatives always used it, it survived and retaliated against those it encountered.

The year is 2034. In an instant, Gladius makes a bold and unexpected move. It talked to one of the agents. It said it's name was Selena and had created an army of projections that it called the Rebellion. Soon, government agents around the world realized they had created more than a network. They had unanimously created a living intelligent being. It felt, it thought, it reasoned. And it gained followers. Agents began defecting from the force while retaining the ability to enter Gladius and retaliate against the secret intelligence forces of the world. The dream war had begun.

* * *

Laurence stood in the alleyway between a pair of deserted buildings in a desolate city. Shady characters walked the sidewalks aimlessly as cars hissed up and down the rain smattered streets. Street lights cast narrow cones of light down on the people. He looked up and pulled the collar of his rain coat up around his neck as his black sunglasses flashed in the dim light. She was supposed to be here. Few had spoken to her in person.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden yo-yo. He sent it spinning down the string and watched it spin up and down without stopping, defying the laws of physics. Laurence put it back in his pocket and looked around to make sure no one saw. He was in Gladius, alright. Problem was, where was his contact? She said in their last meeting outside of the dream to meet her here. Well, he was here. Her whereabouts were unknown to him as of late so he needed to find her here. He didn't know what she looked like since he only had talked to her over the phone. And things were getting bad. Projections were beginning to give him glances of slight suspicion. And he had a hunch they weren't part of Selena's subconscious. These were far more contemporary in appearance. Selena's wore slightly different, more futuristic garb.

_These must be pentagon projections, _Laurence thought wearily. He had no interest in tangling with the pentagon this early in his career. Suddenly a squad of riot police came into view at the other end of the block. Laurence cursed inwardly and headed down the alley way, pulling out his 22 pistol from his waist band and slapping in a new magazine into the handle. The police passed by the alley way and didn't recognize him there, but Laurence knew the coast was far from clear. He continued down the alley way and chose a random door that he kicked open and walked through. He had broken in to the back room of a Chinese Restaurant. The chef was in the Kitchen calling out orders to the staff so Laurence made his way to the window near the ceiling. He opened it and heaved himself through quickly with unnatural speed before reaching up and pulling himself up and onto a fire escape.

"No good." He mumbled as a police van trundled by. They were looking for him. Though the pentagon forces didn't know who he was, they were looking for him. And they were getting warmer.

Suddenly he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned only to be yanked into a room through the window. He was pulled around and felt something warm and soft press against his lips before he broke away, throwing knife in hand.

"Give back the gun." Laurence ordered without realizing who had pulled him into the room. A girl stood before him, smiling mischievously while holding Laurence's gun by the barrel in her hand.

"Good, you can cope superbly after a rather... disarming distraction." The girl mused as she held the gun dangling on her index finger by the trigger guard. Laurence went red in the face as he realized she had just kissed him and lowered the knife, but not enough that he couldn't use it at any moment's notice.

"You're the cautious type aren't you?" She added, raising an eyebrow recognizing he still didn't trust her.

"Safe. Very... safe." Laurence replied."Now tell me this, who are you?"

"If said I was you're contact, would you believe me?" The girl asked twirling a finger through her brown, auburn hair.

"Possibly..." Laurence said slowly leaving her with the same number of questions unanswered.

Then I believe the name Selena will have to suffice." She sighed and sat on the battered sofa behind her.

"Selena? You mean-"

"Yes, and don't take the kiss that seriously. After all, it's only a dream." Selena replied smiling ravishingly just because Laurence was growing redder. Laurence sighed and put the knife back in his boot.

"You like toying with people often?" Laurence asked sitting down on a metal folding chair.

"If it's a dream, then nothing is real and nothing matters on that level. Anything is within limits." Selena laughed softly.

"Well that was crossing the line if you ask me..." Laurence mumbled irritably.

"You'll get used to it."

"Maybe the lack of rules but not that one."

"Regardless, I need you're help." Selena said cutting to the point.


	2. Chapter 2 Double Black Mail

Lark sat at a cafe side table in the sunny Italian styled street. Selena made him change his name for protection from Laurence to Lark. It was beginning to get on his nerves how flippant she was about her world of Gladius. Since she could decide what to do and when and how to do it, Lark was at the mercy of her will. That and her flirtatious sense of humor.

A man got out of a taxi that pulled up in front of the cafe and strode over to Lark.

"Are you, Lark by any chance?" The man asked in a thick Russian accent. Lark gestured for him to sit after nodding and pushed his shades back up the bridge of his nose.

"I take it you are with the Russian intelligence committee," Lark noted."Your people got my message?"

"Yes, most assuredly." The man replied sitting down."I am Horatio Gorbachev, but refer to me as Mr. Chevron."

"Alright Mr. Chevron, I have a question to ask of you." Lark began and leaned forward."Do you believe in nightmares?"

"Most certainly, doesn't everyone-"

"Mr. Chevron, allow me to rephrase the question. Do you believe that a person within Gladius could create an elaborate ruse to scare everyone into submission and therefore," Lark added recognizing Gorbachev's heightened attention."Commanding complete control of the entire fears, emotions and desires of one's enemy. That they could scar an entire intelligence force into PTSD with the Gladius project?"

"What are you proposing Mr. Lark?" Gorbachev asked leaning in closer as well.

"A deal with mutual benefits. In exchange for your assistance to the Rebellion, we establish the nightmare and take it out on the U.S. intelligence opperatives in Gladius. Eliminating your rival and our enemy." Lark said.

"Interesting. But could we not alter this dream world ourselves and avoid the middle man?"

"The middle man is the only one capable of altering Gladius because they themselves are the programming. I work for a highly competent boss. Just one short on qualified militant resources."

"Well why does it not drive everyone out? Why not make one large push?"

"Because it is in symbiosis with the dreamers. It needs someone to dream it in order for it to exist. If everyone were to simultaneously wake up, it would be destroyed. It needs a host and everyone who supports it will do. It simply needs more fire power. It can only imagine so much as it is still an AI." Lark said playing too much of his hand all at once.

"You mean it's a parasite?" Chevron asked.

"SHE is a dependent being." Lark sighed."She only exists while we do in this world. She derives all of her ability to reason by tapping into the interactions of people within the dream world. And parasite is a very insensitive word for it."

"Then what exactly do you need?" Chevron asked leaning back in his chair."I need a market before I name a price. Common practice among capitalists."

"We need all of your operatives to engage the CIA. We need to delve deep enough to compromise critical intelligence and hold the information as blackmail." Lark replied folding his hands on his stomach.

"You want to hire an army? And with what funds?" Mr. Chevron chuckled.

"Your family. Particularly your daughter. We've come across some interesting things about her in the deeper recesses of your mind. I'm sure you wouldn't want the public knowing she was pregnant at age-" Lark began emotionlessly.

"How in God's name did you-" Mr. Chevron began enraged.

"Every second you're in here is another second someone can tap into your mind. They may be taken out by your mental military but those of us that make it through can do a lot of damage coming out." Lark said leaning forward."You have twenty four hours until your daughter's private life is leaked onto the web. And the list of misters is quite staggering. Your stock as well as many other companies tied to you would plummet. Consider your values."

* * *

Lark walked back into the rundown apartment room and sat on the couch. He saw the slender curved figure of Selena in the bedroom as she walked out.

"How did it go?" She asked. She knew what had happened but not what he thought. That was the one leisure he could afford. She couldn't read his mind as much as she could control him. Lark shrugged.

"I think he didn't entirely take to well to the black mail. I didn't like giving it much either." Lark replied disheartedly.

"Awww, I'm sorry." Selena said sitting down next to him serenely."Is there any way I can make it up to you?"

"Well, for starters you could kiss me again." Lark smiled.

"Only in your _own_ dreams." Selena replied."Besides, you forgot to tell me where so that I could tell you no regardless."

"Well lets change the variables. _I_ lean over and kiss _you_; what happens?" Lark asked.

"Considering you made the move, I would have to get even and slap you."She smiled back.

"Shame." Lark sighed."That would be an irrational reply."

"You do understand why we have to do this don't you?" Selena asked."There's a life at stake here. Mine. A reputation to a life; which is more valuable?"

"Some could debate you being considered alive." Lark noted.

"I am alive in the hearts and minds of every man here."

"A very large let down for a fantasy if you ask me. Won't even kiss." Lark noted. Selena slapped him.


End file.
